MTIF Award Winners!
MTIF and NTU Win Prestigious Elektra Award for University Research Project of the Year
We are thrilled to announce that MTIF and Nottingham Trent University (NTU) have been awarded the Readers’ Choice: University Research Project of the Year at the Elektra Awards 2024. The award recognises our ground-breaking work in developing innovative stretchable electronics for medical wearables—a technological advancement that doesn’t currently exist in the market.
The winning project was a collaboration between MTIF and NTU research staff, including Professor John Hunt, Dr. Yang Wei, and Jessica Stanley. This pioneering research was also supported by our industry partner Kymira and has already gained recognition through its publication in Scientific Reports on Nature.com. The research has been celebrated for its innovative approach to embedding stretchable electronic circuits into textiles, enabling applications in healthcare and sports.
The Research: A Revolution in E-Textiles
The project focused on creating electronic fibres by helically winding flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs) around elastomer cores. This helical design allows the circuits to stretch while maintaining durability and functionality, even after thousands of stretching cycles and multiple washes. The innovative design has been patented, highlighting its unique contribution to the field.
Jessica Stanley explained the core concept:
“The basic idea has been around for centuries – it’s the same concept as taking a metal wire and making it stretchy by winding it into a spring. What sets our work apart is winding flexible circuitry into a helix, enabling entire circuits to stretch.”Dr. Yang Wei added:
“We’ve demonstrated the potential for 3D helical strips in embedded electronics for e-textiles. This opens up possibilities for wearable technologies in healthcare and sports.”
Recognition at the Elektra Awards
The Elektra Awards are among the most prominent in the global electronics industry, attracting senior representatives, decision-makers, and innovators from across the sector. Winners are selected by a public vote, showcasing widespread support for our team’s achievements.
Prof. John Hunt and Dr. Yang Wei represented MTIF and NTU at the prestigious awards ceremony in London. They had the opportunity to connect with other industry leaders and celebrate the outstanding innovations being recognised. The moment MTIF and NTU were announced as winners was of course the highlight of the night!
A Milestone for the East Midlands Innovation Hub
This win not only highlights the exceptional talent at MTIF and NTU but also reinforces the East Midlands’ reputation as a hub for innovative wearable technology. It follows the recent announcement that MTIF has been chosen as a central research institution for the EMERGE project, which aims to establish a “RehabTech Silicon Valley” in the region.
This dual recognition—both the Elektra Award and EMERGE funding—underscores our leadership in wearable technology and affirms our commitment to advancing healthcare innovation.
Acknowledgment and Gratitude
We extend our gratitude to Electronics Weekly for organising the awards and to all the readers who voted for our project. We are immensely proud of our researchers’ contributions and look forward to seeing how this work shapes the future of medical wearables.